Through the Red Door

Loved the concept and overall writing despite one of the main characters Clara which became the main reason I rated so low. There was just something about her that was off putting, but I digress. Besides that, interesting read.

Clara Martelli is drowned in grief after losing her soulmate in an accident. They founded and ran Book Nirvanna and she is struggling without him. As it approaches his one year anniversary, things get harder and she becomes confused as what to do when she encounters Professor Nick Papadopoulos who has come to her bookshop for research. Her friend tries to get her to move on by introducing his cousin which results in a tangled web of guilt and emotion. A good storyline with a slow buildup, I did find Clara’s indecision a bit irritating but on the whole a good read. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Interesting concept where a bookshop owner has a special secret backroom for erotica of all types, historic through contemporary, and the sexy college professor who wants to do research in the shop. Both the bookshop owner and the professor are widowers, with ensuing complications of grief and uncertainty.

The romance was well played out, there is a somewhat of a love triangle, but overall I found the story not as erotic as billed.

Also, Clara the shop owner is basically flabbergasted by the contents of the backroom as it was her dead husband's collection. I found it hard to believe girl wasn't in there perusing with her husband!

ARC received in exchange for a fair review.

While there’s no denying Through the Red Door is a highly erotic tale, there is also gentleness within the pages when describing Clara’s relationship with her late husband and the life that they shared. The characters in this story are memorable, and the plot is captivating and often funny too. Yes I know that isn’t what you would expect from an erotic romance, but it does enhance the overall enjoyment of this book.

Heat, well that goes without saying. Through the Red Door is scorching, but there is definitely more to this book than just sex. The characters have to find their path and in doing so there is laughter, tears and hard choices to be made. I think most readers will enjoy this book, and I’m happy to add my recommendation.

When do we know when we’re ready to move on from the loss of a great love? That question is the subject of Sadira Stone’s debut novel THROUGH THE RED DOOR.

Almost a year ago, bookstore owner Clara Martelli lost her husband Jared in a tragic accident. She still dreams of him – vividly – and wonders if she will ever get to the place where she can move on. She wonders if she even wants to.

One day, a handsome stranger walks into her bookshop with a request to view the extensive erotica collection Jared and Clara stored in their bookshop. Clara is drawn to Nick, a university professor doing research of sexual mores and erotica, and he stirs up a desire within her she thought to never feel again. When another man comes into her life, teacher Doug, a soon-to-be-divorced nice guy, Clara realizes she needs to make a choice between the two men.

The erotic scenes in this bookw ere off the charts – even the ones that were only Clara’s“dreams.” Ms. Stone’s debut novel is a rich mix of love, sex, and thoughtful introspection as she tries to move on with her life.

I don’t usually give 5 stars to a debut author, but this book soundly deserves it. Thank you to Netgally and the WILD ROSE PRESS for allowing my a sneak peek at such a good book.

See people rockin'
Hear people chantin'
Feelin' Hot Hot Hot!

I meannnnnn.... Sadira Stone writes a sexy sexy book.

Claire is a widow and the owner of a bookstore (with a particularily hot erotic section). She is still DEEPLY in love with her husband. She meets Nick, a university professor researching erotica and he wakes up a desire that Claire was long gone.

While there are very sexy part.s in this book, there's a lot a lot of heart. Fabulous for a cold winter's night.

I am volunteering to leave a review of this ARC book from NetGalley. The title of this book is what first enticed me to read it. It is very hard to believe this is this author's debut novel! This book flowed very well. Had a great plot, and great characters. I loved that Clara was still in love with her husband, despite being a widow. Will Nick change her heart? I will be watching for more by this author!

Through the Red Door is my introduction to author Sadira Stone and the start of a new sensual, erotic series. I really enjoyed this read and found myself quickly immersed in the characters and their story. I will be reading more by this author and recommending her to others.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Red Door (from NetGalley). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Good book! I embraced Clara and her sorrows. With more anticipation than expected, Clara's practical side made an easy decision difficult to the very end. Though I liked her as a character, I willed her to choose differently on several occasions! I absolutely love the two make characters: Nick and Doug--both of whom can be easily imagined from their clear actions, behaviors, and descriptions! I appreciated this author's interest in prolonging the drama--it really was a good book. Worth the time it took to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sadira Stone for the ARC!

This was a slow read. It started slow, but the background story was needed for this read to be good. Jared and Clara had a relationship full of love! This was a slow start and it ended well. Nick has a past as all men do, but his is just as sad as Clara's. Clara is coming into her own and two suitors come along and help her through her grief and getting her toes wet. Trying her way back in the land of the dating. It was ok once it picked up. It was a good ending. Not bad for her first book!

I received this ARC from the publisher at my request via Net Galley for my honest review. The opinions written are solely my own. Thank you Net Galley!

Widow navigates her way through two suiters while running a bookstore with a hidden though famous erotica section. A ghost may also be involved.
It’s interesting that of her two new beaus, it’s the “hot” one she instantly bonds with, because he lost his spouse too.
Probably the most fun character is the professor’s assistant—at least for a while—the kind of person who’s fun to read about but would annoy the crap out of me in real life.
The writing is really smooth, the dialogue humorous. While there were some genre clichés near the end, as a whole the plot flowed organically, and everything tied together well at the finish.
This is one the best romance books I read this year.
4.5 pushed up to 5/5

A great introduction to this author. A steamy smoking hot romance book. I enjoyed the characters. I found that they are relatable.

A good debut by Sadira Stone. It's a hot and interesting story. It's an erotic story but with true depth to the writing. Well-written and full of life. Enjoyed it.

The story is a bit drawn out and if these characters actually talked honestly to each other it would solve a whole lot of issues. Clara is stuck in her head with grief and while she needs to move on it just seems like she doesn’t want to. The room behind the red door is so erotic and odd. But how everything goes down with the landlords son taking over the building it was odd. Nick was clearly the best guy for her, so happy how this book wraps up. I like the combination local coffee and book store too, the owners of the coffee shop are pretty cool too.

I felt like this book was quite a bit more emotional than I had expected going in! There’s a lot of Clara exploring her grief around the death of her husband, and even the parts that should be sexy in the beginning just made me feel sad for her. I thought the plot was unique, I enjoyed how the bookstore was such a central part of the storyline. Netgalley has the book categorized as erotica, but truthfully I’ve read steamier books that are just categorized as romance. I liked the story, but it did lag in a couple of places.

What a great debut novel! The characters are great. The story is romantic, erotic, and heart felt. I’m really blown away and can not wait for Nick and Clara’s story to continue.

Clara Martelli owns a book store that she is struggling to keep open. She also lost her husband almost a year ago and she is still wanting to do something to remember him. At the same time she feels like it is time or she is receiving signs that it is time to move on. The first sign is when she receives a request from a professor from Berkeley if he my look at her collection of books behind the Red Door. She agrees and when Professor Nick Papadopoulos arrives there is something between the two of them. What is behind the Red Door is the collection of erotic books that her and her deceased husband Jared had collected over the years. Now she sells some and buys other ones to add to the ones sold. She and the Professor go through some of the books, and after he purchases some, he wants to get to know her better. Also what happens is that one of her employees would like her to go out with his cousin she agrees. The story a few twists not many but one is does she want a relationship and does she want it with either one of these men, if she does she most chose. I found this story to be more of a romantic book and the erotic scenes more from the books that they would read. That is just my take. The sex scenes are hot and the pain she feels about the store, her lost husband, what to do between the two men and who to trust when she hears some things all add to this story. A very good book.

Clara is a widow. Her husband died tragically almost one year ago. As she deals with her grief she meets Nick and Doug. Both men want to date Clara. Is she ready for this new adventure? Is she ready to get back in the swing of dating?

I loved this story and how Clara never lost her focus on Jared, her late husband. Her talks with him, asking him for signs, and her dreams were so vivid and meaningful. I loved how this book took her love for her late husband into consideration. It was touching even though as a reader I was pulling for one guy in particular. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a true love story with a little spice. Highly recommended! Truly 5 Stars!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is one of those stories where the cover doesn't really look so attractive but the story is fabulous. A woman who lost her husband from an accident and one day a handsome man came into her bookstore. This story worth 4.8 stars and it is highly recommended.